Expansible rail joint



Feb. 14, 1939. A E, L 2,147,342

EXPANSIBLE RAIL JOINT Filed March 10, 1936 5 I lA ITF/y 68 (2mm.

Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention is directed to improvements in expansible rail joints.

The object of the invention is to provide a rail joint having expanding characteristics in order that the bars and plates constituting the joint are adjustable by expansion imparted thereto during tightening of the usual clamping bolts, the movement of the bars and plates during expansion serving to act upon the rail ends r-egardless of the variance in the fishing height thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coupling joint for rails so constructed that after initial adjustment of the parts, whether in connection with new or old rails, provision is made for subsequent adjustment or expansion of the parts to compensate for wear, thereby providing a coupling capable of functioning throughout the life of the rails.

A further object of the invention is the constant web contact by the plates which is an essential feature of my present invention or rail joint assembly. The opposed pressure from that exerted by the tightening of the bolts will expand the fishing height of the bar assembly so as to fit the varying conditions found in new and old rails with enough additional expansion left to take care of requirements that may be caused by wear throughout the life of the rail. This is not true of the usual rail joints of the fishing height type character.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an expansion joint bar of which the parts can easily be manufactured in standard rolling mill practice.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view but of a modified form.

Figure 4 is a similar view of another modified form.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, l and 2 designate the abutting ends of the rails which are joined by the bars 3 and plates 4, there being a pair of each used on opposite sides of the rail webs 5, and are arranged with the plates 4 next to the webs and with the bars disposed exteriorly of the plates. The bars and plates are operable in the space between the rail balls 6 and flanges 1 thereof. The bars and plates are necessarily of sufiicient length to span the line of juncture of the rail ends. It will be observed upon reference to Fig. 2, that the fishing height of the plates and bars are less than the fishing height of the rail ends, the purpose of which will be ex- 5 plained as the description proceeds.

The upper edge of each plate 4 terminates in a head 8 having a curved upper surface 9 and lateral extensions l and H. The lower edges of these plates terminate in a rib l2, the same being inclined downwardly in order to provide an inclined bearing surface 13, the purpose of which will appear later. The rib is curved, as at M, so as to engage the slight curved face l of the rail web 5. The curved surface .9 of the head .15 8 will obviously bear against the curved under surface of the rail ball 6.

Each coupling bar 3 is formed at its upper edge with an inwardly directed off-set I! having a curved bearing face l8, While the lower edgegg thereof is provided with an inwardly directed loading member or saddle IS. The upper face of the member I9 is inclined downwardly, as at 223, the inclination corresponding to that of the bearing surface l3 of the rib I2. The lower surface of the member I9 is inclined as at 2|, and rests upon the fishing surface of the rail flange 7.

The plates 4 and bars 3 may be of the same length, but preferably the plates are of less length so that they will have a comparatively shortcontact or bearing against the rail balls for more effective operation. Since the ends of the bars 3 extend beyond the ends of the plates 4 clearances are provided between such ends and the rail webs, and therefore locking washers for the'- nuts of the clamping bolts 22 may be eliminated due to the inherent resiliency of the bar ends, and their tendency to flex outwardly. In other words, the bar ends will yieldably engage the bolt nuts and prevent accidental rotation thereof.

In addition to the bolts 22, bolts 23 are used and pass through the bars 3, plates 4 and rail webs 5. It is deemed advisable to equip the bolts 23 with lock washers for the nuts thereof, since there is no lateral yield between the bars andplates.

When the bolts 22 and 23 are tightened to adjust the joint, the bars 3 will be drawn inwardly, and since the curved bearing surfaces l8 of the off-sets I! fit in the curved seats I8 at the juncture of the extensions II and bodies of the plates 4, and the bearing surfaces 20 of the loading members contact the bearing surfaces [3 of the ribs l2, the plates 4 and bars 3 are compelled to simultaneously move upwardly due to the wedging action of the members l9 during their movement between the ribs 12 and rail flanges 1. This wedging action of the members is due to the fact that the bearing surfaces of the ribs are inclined in directions opposite to the bearing surfaces 2| of the members I9, and that the bearing surfaces 2| ride upwardly of the inclined faces of the rail flanges l. Inward movement of the plates 4 is arrested due to the contact of the bearing surfaces l4 and I5, respectively of the ribs I2 and webs 5. As lateral pressure is applied to the bars and plates upon further tightening of the clamping bolts the assembled bars and plates are moved in the same vertical direction in the fishing spaces to compensate for wear of the rails already equipped with the joint, or to permit the assembly to adjust itself to the unequal fishing height of new rails.

The greatest load for expanding the joint is obtained by the members l9 as they move inwardly. However, there is a slight load imparted to the heads 8 of the plates 4 by the off-sets ll of the bars 3, which is in turn imparted by the heads 8 of the plates to the fillets of the balls of the rails.

In Fig. 3 the rails are of the head-free type, and when used in connection with this type of rail the bars 25 are of the same general configuration as the bars previously described. In this form of the invention, the plates 26 have ribs 21 on their lower edges and relatively long heads 28 on their upper edges, said heads having bearing surfaces 29 which are curved, and fiat bearing surfaces 30, the former fitting in the curved bearing surfaces 3| formed in the fillets of the rail balls. The flat surfaces 30 contact with the rail webs 32 and the same vertical movement of the assembled bars 25 and plates 26 is obtained upon tightening the clamping bolts.

Referring to Fig. 4, the bars 36 are formed at their lower edges with loading members or saddles 31, and in addition thereto with a pair of vertically spaced loading members 38 and 39, while at their upper edges are formed offsets 48. The plates 4| used in connection with these bars have ribs 42 on their lower edges and heads 43 on their upper edges and disposed between the heads and ribs are vertically spaced lugs 44 and 45. The members 38 and 39 have downwardly inclined bearing surfaces which co-act with the lower upwardly inclined bearing surfaces of the lugs 44 and 45. The members 31 and ribs 42 have coacting inclined bearing surfaces similar to those described in Figures 1 and 2, while the heads 43 co-act with the inclined bearing surfaces of the off-sets 40. Obviously when the bars 36 and plates 4| are drawn together by the clamping bolts the co-acting inclined bearing surfaces will act to move the bars and plates in directions to expand the same to compensate for the differences in the fishing height'of the rail ends.

To insure perfect alignment of the rails in the assemblage of the rail joint, constant fishing height contacts are necessary, and attained, by portions of the plate being in constant contact with the web of the rail, which bridges the gap of the rail ends, the constant fishing height contacts being maintained by the expansible characteristics of both plate and bar.

It will be gathered from the foregoing, that the novel construction of setting the plates on edges, or in an upright position, and providing the principal contact or loading point of the plates to the bars at the bottom of the plates and on the bottom rib or saddle of the bars, thus that the load carrying strength of the plates is added to the strength of the bars, where this strength is most needed, which is through the centre part of the bars, at the abutting rail ends.

It will also be observed that there is a clearance between the balls of the rails and the upper edges of the parts of the bars which extend beyond the ends of the plates in order to permit inward and upward movement of the ends of the bars on the rail flanges during adjustment as the end bolts are tightened.

Moreover, neither the plates nor the bars are of sufficient fishing height to fully occupy both fishing surfaces of the rail, but the assembly thereof makes a complete rail joint of the expansion type.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A joint connection for the meeting end portions of railroad rails, comprising a plate positio-ned on each side of the rails in lapping relation to said meeting end portions, each plate having its upper edge in bearing engagement with the under surfaces of the rail balls and having its lower edge in bearing engagement with the rail webs, the plates being spaced from the rail webs intermediate their upper and lower points of bearing engagement, a bar positioned outwardly of each plate, the plates and bars at each side of the rails having a plurality of vertically spaced downwardly and inwardly cooperating bearing surfaces and with the plates and bars in substantial spaced relation intermediate the cooperating bearing surfaces, the bars having their lower edges in bearing engagement with the rail flanges, said bars extending longitudinally beyond the ends of said plates, and means for drawing the bars toward each other and through said cooperating bearing surfaces drawing the upper and lower edges of the plates into firm contact with the rails, said means including bolts passing through the bars and end portions beyond said plates operable to place the bars under tension to prevent loosening of said means.

2. In a rail joint having a splice bar crossing the junction of the rails and bolts securing the splice bar to the end portions of each rail, a plate disposed between the webs of the said end portions and the splice bar in the fishing space of said end portions and in contact with the balls of the latter, said splice bar having a wedge por tion entered between the lower edge of the plate and base flange of said end portions to maintain the aforesaid contact of the splice bar and balls, said splice bar extending longitudinally beyond opposite ends of said plate, certain of said bolts being located beyond the plate and operable to bow the splice bar whereby it is tensioned and in its urge to straighten will serve to maintain said bolts tight.

ALBERT E. HILL. 

